It is fascinating to note the Mullah-in-Chief of the 20th century, "Maulana" Syed Abul A'la Maududi (Our Master, Owner, Father of the Most Glorious, Maududi) saying, "If we do not believe in such stories, what will be left with us?”]

KARBALA: FACT OR FICTION? KARBALA — is also available in Urdu by Shabbir Ahmed, M.D

REMINDER:

All criticism of the author in this book is directed to the historians, and not at all to the honorable personalities of Islam - The exalted Prophet, Sahaba Kiraam, Hazraat Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain, all of whom inspire our reverence and respect.

[At this juncture please make a note that the entire tale of Karbala has been narrated by the so-called Imam Tabari bin Rustam, the Zoroastrian, 239 years after the supposed event. Time and again he begins with, "Abu Mukhnif said this and Abu Mukhnif said that …" Renowned scholars like Shah Abdul Aziz, Allama Tamanna Imadi and 'Maulana' Habibur Rahman Kandhalwi have conducted in-depth research and are of the opinion that Abu Mukhnif is a fictitious character. Other scholars have established that even if such a person existed in flesh and blood, he had died more than fifty years before Tabari was born. It was Tabari who wrote Maqtal Husain in the name of Abu Mukhnif. Moreover, Tabari does not once claim that he ever met Abu Mukhnif. This being the state of affairs, it becomes obvious that the myth of Karbala is the product of Tabari’s own imagination. Some said Tabari was a Shia, others contend that he was a Sunni. In fact he had changed his name from Tabari bin Rustam to Tabari bin Yazeed for deceiving the masses. Tabari ascribes all atrocities to Yazeed, yet, he associates his own name with Yazeed, a shameless attempt to get some credibility!]

NOW, WHAT WAS THE SIZE OF THE FORCES WITH IMAM HUSAIN?

According to Allama Mujtahid (Revivalist) Muhammad, here is a controversy again. Abi Faris says they were 1,000 (Sharhe Shafia). Sheikh Mufeed says their total number was 72 (32 horsemen and 40 foot soldiers).

But Imam Baqir reports they were 145.

[Ironically, after shooting their arrows of conjecture, our historians, theologians and reporters of Hadith play a trick on Allah and Rasool (S). They pass the buck to Allah, "Wallahu A'alam" (And Allah knows best). That is that! They simply won't admit, "I do not know". If they decide to pass the buck to the exalted Prophet, they would write, “Qaal aw kama qaal" (He said this, or said something like it)]

• Ibn Ziyad said to the Imam, “I will not lay my head on a soft pillow nor taste good food until I slay you.” The Imam replied, “The people of your city Kufah had written to me, so I came. If you dislike my coming, I must go back.” Then he also requested Umar bin Sa’d, “Let me leave since earth is vast”, but he did not get the leave.

[According to the Mujtahid writer, Imam Husain was there for Jihad. Why, then, would he ask to leave? Persians bore a special grudge against Hazrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqas because he had conquered Persia half a century earlier. So, the name of his son, Umar bin Sa'd was tagged here although he was commanding troops in Syria at that time. Ref. Al-Milil Wanhil by Imam Sheristani]

• On the Ashura Day (10th Muharram) Imam Husain said, “Yazeed the bastard, son of a bastard has forced me to choose between death and disgrace.” [But the Imam had willfully decided to come to Kufah against strong advice of many outstanding personalities. Only 4 of his 15 brothers accompanied him while the rest tried to stop him. Also, could this be the language used by the noble Imam Husain?]

• Three days before the martyrdom of Husain, Umar bin Sa’d put a 500 strong guard at the river Euphrates to completely deny the Imam and his companions any access to water. The Imam delivered a speech saying, “Think! Who my father, my mother and grandmother were and whose brother and whose grandson I am!” Voices were heard from the enemy camp, “We know all this, yet we must kill you in the state of thirst.”

• The Imam, nevertheless, demonstrated a miracle near his tent. He slightly dug the earth with a spade. All of a sudden a fountain of cool and sweet water gushed forth from the dry desert soil. All of them drank to their fill and filled up their water-skins [Lo and behold! The water problem is watered down]

• From those tyrants the Imam sought respite for one night. This was the Ashura night. The Imam and his companions spent the night in prayers, supplication and repentance and pleadings to Allah for mercy. They wailed and chanted over their rosary beads. There were sounds from the tents like the humming of bees from a beehive. [Such earnest prayers of the most pious ones were not heard! What are our theologians trying to accomplish? - Mock and insult them]

• Many people left the Imam and sneaked away into the darkness of the night. To those who were left with him, he gestured to look up at the sky. That is when every one of the companions beheld his abode in Paradise. [According to the Quran, the Paradise encompasses the heavens and the earth. Imam Husain would not contradict the Quran]

• Imam Zainul Abidin relates that when Imam Husain uttered some couplets about his death, Zain’s paternal aunt, Hazrat Zainab started beating her face and rent her clothes. She then fainted. Imam Husain said, “My sister! I serve an oath on you. Please keep my oath. After I am gone, neither tear up your clothes, nor scratch your face, nor do the least bit of wailing.” But no one including Zainab complied with the Imam’s advice and last will. [So it is today]

• On the other side there was an army of hundreds of thousands. Yet, the exalted Imam arrayed his small force thoroughly for battle including the right flank, the left flank and the flag bearer. Aqai Darbandi writes that the opposing army comprised 600,000 horsemen and 20 million infantry.

[Even if the enemy amounted to the well-armed thousands, was it not a collective suicide? Would the enlightened Imam Husain adopt such a fatal course? Victory being out of question, if his objective was martyrdom, he would not expose women and children and his companions to this peril. The exalted Prophet had warned believers against getting disgraced by inviting a peril that one could not cope with]

• The Imam addressed Shimar bin Zil-Joshan, “O Son of a goattending woman!”

• The Imam cursed Ibn-e-Abi-Jaweria for the torment of fire. At once he fell in blazing fire in a trench and turned into ashes. He prayed, “O Allah! Kill Tamim bin Hasseen by thirst this very day.” Suddenly stricken with thirst, Tamim fell off his horse by the Euphrates bank and his horse trampled him to death.

[With Imam Husain being so readily accepted in his prayers, why could he not ward off Karb and Bala (anguish and calamity)? The highly exaggerated, contradictory and superstitious accounts betray conjecture and fabrications by the historians. Hazrat Husain wouldn't have even dreamed such nonsense. In fact, the then governor of Iraq, Imam Husain was assassinated by Jaban bin Hormuzan in the governor house of Kufah as we see later]

• The parties arrayed themselves in battle formation. 20,600,000 (Twenty million and six hundred thousand) on one side and seventy two men on the other! [What sense would arranging the troops make? 72 against even 30,000 would have been an outright disaster. But let us read on]

• That day there was loud hue and cry in the tents. It was a divinely ordained calamity for them. The Imam kept briefing them about the coming events many times a day as revealed to him by Allah. [According to the Allama Mujtahid, all this was a pre-ordained and not an unforeseen calamity. Why, then, the hue and cry as we note further?]

• O Creatures of Allah! I have taken refuge with Allah against harm from you. [Refuge not granted]

OUT OF THE DEN CAME THE LION, ROARING!• The Imam called for the steed of Rasoolullah called Murtajiz. He rode the steed and started urging his companions to gear up for the battle. Hur walked over to Husain’s side. [The events are taking place fifty years after the exalted Rasool passed on. The steed Murtajiz should have been about seventy years old then. Do the horses live that long and strong?]

• Hur said, “O People of Kufah! After his passing away this is how you have treated the descendents of the Rasoolullah!”

• Upon hearing this, Umar bin Sa’d shot the first arrow at Husain’s army and with that followed a shower of thousands of arrows.

[Dear reader! Only a few excerpts have been picked out cautiously for the sake of brevity. But I have not restricted the account to merely ten or twenty points from various voluminous books in order to convey to you what has been written in them about the illustrious Imam. "Too much reverence breeds insult", (Akbar Ilahadi). The books from which the excerpts have been taken are so numerous that several pages are needed just to record the list of their long titles. Below are given only a few titles as examples:

All these references can be looked up in Mustatab Saadat-ud-Darain fi Qatlil Husain by Allama Sarkar Ash-Sheikh Muhammad Husain, printer Maktabah As-Sibtain]

• As soon as the downpour of arrows from the enemy troops began, the illustrious Imam launched a swift attack on them. The battle continued for hours. Fifty of his companions embraced martyrdom. [Against a shower of thousands of arrows, not one of the 72 arrayed combatants could have survived for a minute]

• A martyr has seven benefits from Allah. One of them is that his head rolls into the laps of two houris. [One lap should suffice one head]

• Eight slaves of the Lord of Martyrs were slain. [The exalted Prophet had abolished slavery. How could Imam Husain take slaves? The title "Lord of the Martyrs" has been reserved by many historians for Hazrat Hamza, the Prophet's (S) uncle]

PRINCE: Ali Akbar desired to have grapes. Imam Husain raised his hand to the pillar of the mosque and [out of thin air] grabbed a bunch of grapes for the prince. [The historians maintain that Hazrat Husain had taken up arms to destroy monarchy. Yet, they call his offspring princes and princesses]

• Prince Ali Akbar was married since he had an Umm-e-Walad. [Umme-Walad = A concubine that bears a child, yet remains less than a wife]

• Prince Ali Akbar killed 200 soldiers. However, his horse took him to the enemy troops. The barbarians shredded him into pieces with their swords. [That treacherous horse must have an effigy made and flogged in the Ta'zia processions]

INSULTS TO INTELLIGENCE ABOUNDAlong with these events, the historians include a relentless exchange of verses and dialogues as if it were a vocal contest of which they were eyewitnesses, or the audio-video records were being made. This is in spite of the fact that Tabari compiled the first “History of Islam” nearly two hundred and fifty years after Imam Husain’s martyrdom. In order to keep this book reasonably small, we are disregarding much of the running commentary.

• Many authors accept one criterion for the authenticity of the events of Karbala: If an event is found in any of the books of Ulama, so did it happen, period. [Wow!]

• The books are replete with reports that the Lord of Martyrs broke down in tears at the killing of a certain person or at such and such happening. [The exalted Prophet had said, "The true patience is that which is resorted to at the time of misfortune." Suggesting that the valiant Imam Hussein broke down time and again is an insult to him]

• The five or six remnants of Abu Talib’s progeny launched a ferocious attack on the army of thousands.

• Prince Qasim son of Imam Hasan came out of the tent on his way to the battlefield. The uncle, Husain and the nephew embraced each other and wept so much that both fell unconscious.

• Allah dispensed an extraordinary punishment upon the one who had killed Muhammad bin Ali bin Abi Talib. He drank so much water that his belly burst open to his demise. (Wow!)

• Abdullah bin Hasan was eleven years old. He courageously addressed one of the enemies, “O Son of a loose woman!”

• Abbas son of Ali was called the ‘moon’ of the (tribe of) Banu Hashim. He was so well-built that when he rode a horse his feet would touch the ground. [OK]

Abbas launched such fierce attacks that the right wing of the enemy turned upon the left wing and the left turned upon the right.

HOLD YOUR BREATHFinally, came Imam Husain’s turn. The evening was drawing close. He was all alone, fifty-seven years old, hungry and thirsty for several days, in intense heat, broken-hearted in grief.

Excellent portrayal by Mir Anees:

The gloom of tyranny has engulfed Zahra’s Moon What loneliness has gripped Shabbir this Day Zahra is the title of Hazrat Fatima, the mother of Hazrat Husain whose title is Shabbir.

The author of Saada-tud-Darain writes, “If Husain had really wanted to defeat the enemy and triumph to power, it was simple and easy. He would have placed Abbas on one of his sides, Ali Akbar on the other, while Muhammad bin Hanfia (son of Hanfia and Ali) and Muslim bin Aqeel would be somewhere in the middle. Then he would have attacked the rival army [of 20 million 600 thousand or 30 thousand as the case may be] It would have changed the face of the battlefield at Karbala.” [Imagine how five men could change the fate of such a one-sided battle]

• In the meanwhile God sent down a bird that fluttered its wings over Imam Husain‘s head. The bird said, “Allah says that if you wish, He shall grant you victory over the adversary.” This was Allah’s help.

• Then 4,000 angels came on to the Karbala battlefield with shouts of support. However, the Lord of the Martyrs did not allow them to take part in Jihad.

• Then countless Jinns came to offer their services, but the Imam did not accept their offer.

• The Imam brought the suckling infant Prince Ali Asghar out of the tent. He requested the enemy water for the infant. But some barbarian shot an arrow as a response to the request for a sip of water. The little prince breathed his last in the Imam’s arms. The blood that gushed forth, the Imam caught in his palm and threw up to the sky. Not a drop of this sacred blood came back down.

• In the tents, Imam Husain bade good-bye to Sakeena, Fatima, Zainab and Um Kulsoom. Sakeena said, “Baba! Have you prepared yourself for death?” Imam answered, “What can a friendless, helpless person do but accept death?”

REMINDER

All criticism of the author in this book is directed to the historians, and not at all to the honorable personalities of Islam - The exalted Prophet, Sahaba Kiraam, Hazraat Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain, all of whom inspire our reverence and respect.

[On the authority of the Quran, Allah was pleased with the Prophet's companions and they were pleased with Him. Obviously, unrealistic reverence carried beyond limits becomes SHIRK and insult]

All the references for this chapter can be looked up in Mustatab Saadat-ud- Darain fi Qatlil Husain by Allama Sarkar Ash-Sheikh Muhammad Husain, printer Maktabah As-Sibtain.HUSAIN APPEARS

Out came Shabbir of the tent door As a gloomy funeral leaves the house

• Mirza Dabeer

[Could the lion-hearted Imam proceed to fight for his martyrdom like a man who dies before dying?]

• Four Thousand archers were showering arrows but the son of the ‘Lion of Allah’ killed 1,950 rascals. [And that under a shower of arrows. The 'Lion of Allah' refers to Hazrat Ali]

• To get a drink of water, the Imam spurred his horse towards the Euphrates. The arrow of a cursed one pierced the Imam’s throat. Blood filled his palms and he tossed the blood upwards. The horse of the Lord of Martyrs lowered its head to drink water. The Imam said, “O Steed! Even you are thirsty. I will not drink until you do.” But the loyal steed raised back its head. The Imam came back to the tents. He warned his family to get ready for trials and tribulations.

Then, he went back to the battlefield with the arrow still stuck in his throat and started killing the enemy rank upon rank. The enemy had to re-arrange the troops. So many arrows were shot at the Imam that his Naazneen (femininely delicate) body became like that of a porcupine. Yet, the Imam kept launching his counterattacks. [Rearranging the troops against one man]

• Battling the enemy, the Imam reached a place called Zulkifl about twelve miles away with his body as that of a porcupine.

• The wounds received so far were counted and they were 1,950. [We are not told who counted them and how]

• One of the tyrants hurled a stone at his forehead. Then he plunged a three-pronged arrow that pierced the Imam’s body and went through the pure chest that bore no malice. The Imam unsuccessfully tried to pull out the arrow.

• Then spears, arrows and swords started striking him from all directions. His condition was failing due to thirst. Again and again he was asking for water but the enemy was advancing towards him in droves. [What more could the swords, spears and arrows do to a body already like that of a porcupine?]

• The Imam could not pull out from the front the three-pronged arrow piercing his body, so he bent down and pulled it out from the back.

• Blood spurted like a waterfall. He cupped the blood in his hands and tossed it skywards. Not a single drop came back down. [OK]

• One of the tormenters struck him in the back with a spear with such force that the Imam could not stay up on his saddle and landed on his right cheek. But he stood up and walked quite a distance to the place destined for his slaying.

• Hasseen Tameemi shot an arrow into his mouth. Abu Ayyub shot at his throat. Zara’a bin Shareek struck a blow with the sword at his left arm. Another cursed one struck the right shoulder with a sword. Sanan bin Anas struck a spear at the collarbone that made the Imam fall face downwards. Then he got up and pulled out the arrow from his throat.

• Now the enemy surrounded him and they set about to kill him. [What more had they to do for killing him? It appears that the narrators would not pronounce anybody dead until his head was still on the shoulders. Had Imam Husain not been struck fatal blows already? If his surviving all that was due to some immunity as an Imam, why had Hazrat Ali died of the blow from Ibn Maljam and Imam Hasan from poisoning, as reported?]

• Now Her Excellency Zainab came to the tent door. She addressed the entire force of the enemy requesting them not to kill the Imam. But, alas! The Bibi could not save her brother’s life.

• With the Imam squatting on the ground, Malik bin Nasr struck a sword on his head. The cap underneath his turban got cut up.

• The honored head was split. The cap was filled with blood. The Imam took the cap off. Then he bandaged his head. Quite a while had gone by since his fall to the ground from the horse but no one had the courage to slay him.

• Now Shimar-Al-Joshan came forward. This accursed one had leucoderma. [The narrators seem to have forgotten that earlier they had described him as a leper]

• The accursed Shimar sat down in an indescribably insulant fashion. The Lord of the Martyrs looked toward him and said, “The Prophet was right that he was witnessing a dog with white spots dipping its snout in his family’s blood.”

• That heartless man struck twelve times with a blunt sword and severed the head of the Rasool’s grandson from the hind side of his neck. Ah, even a goat is slaughtered from the front of the neck! [Our narrators counted those twelve blows and saw the scene centuries later]

[SOMETHING STRANGE: It is truly amazing to note that Munajaat-e-Zainul Abideen, and Saheefa Sajjadia written by Imam Zain in his last years make no mention of Karbala at all! The usual rebuttal to this perplexity, "Well, they are a collection of prayers." But even the prayer books of Imam Zain are expected to mention his family and the Karbala martyrs]

[The contents of this chapter have been taken from many books. References are given at appropriate places]

REMINDER: All criticism of the author in this book is directed to the historians, and not at all to the honorable personalities of Islam - Theexalted Prophet, Sahaba Kiraam, Hazraat Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain, all of whom inspire our reverence and respect.

ASH-SHEIKH MUHAMMAD HUSAIN SAYS

• There are a lot of gatherings for wailing. As soon as the Muharram moon is sighted, mourning attire is worn, wailing sessions are held, eulogies and mournful chants are recited, and alluring speeches made, heard, tears shed, heads and faces slapped, and chests beaten. If this is all that we have learnt from the martyrdom of Husain, then it is no less a tragedy for the Islamic world than the tragedy of Karbala itself.

Matam karain Husain ka lootain Husnpurah

Mourning Husain, looting the town of beauties, that’s what the congregation does.

• Professional storytellers of the martyrs of Karbala conduct elegy (Marsiah) sessions at prostitute houses and charge them fees.

• If paganism rises from Ka’bah itself, whence could go Islam?

• Speakers and Elegists endeavor to draw acclaim from the audience and win the approval of sponsors.

• The Rasool (S) said, “It is enough for being a liar to repeat all that one hears.” (Nehjul Balagha, considered a collection of Hazrat Ali’s speeches). [Yet, the Story of Karbala is nothing but word of mouth carried over generations]

• The Reciters should not read in a singsong fashion because there is a saying of the Rasool (S) that the first ever song was sung by the Satan when Adam had eaten of the Forbidden Fruit. (Mun La Yahdhar Al-Faqeeh)

• The reciters portray the Karbala episode as if it was a spectacle of quail fighting quail. (Muqaddama Sa’adah)

• Imam Musa Kazim insisted, “Do not acquire knowledge of Deen from anyone other than Shias.”

• Wail and whimper to your heart’s content or at least make a mournful expression. In this way, you will eventually become accomplished in the art of crying.

• Imam Husain’s date of birth was the fifth of Sha’ban, 4 AH, 626 CE.

• Rasool (S) nourished Husain by letting him suckle on his tongue. The Rasool would stick his tongue in Husain’s mouth and he would suck so much that the flesh of Prince Husain grew out of the flesh of the Rasool. The Prince did not suck milk from the breast of his mother Syeda Fatima or of any other woman. (Ad-Dama’ As-Sakiba)

[This narration is an obvious insult to Imam Husain, his mother Fatima (R) and to the exalted Prophet. It ridicules common sense, reason, Laws of Nature and insults human intelligence]

• When Imam Husain was born, Allah ordered houris to enhance their beautification and the angels to increase glorifying Allah (Bahaarul Anwaar).

• Accompanied by four thousand angels, the angel Gabriel presented his congratulations in the court of Rasoolullah, at the same time offering his condolences. (Amali Sheikh Sadooq)

• One day Ibrahim, the son of Allah’s Rasool, and Husain, his grandson were perched on his left and right thighs. Gabriel appeared with a message from Allah that He did not wish both of them to live so the Prophet must sacrifice one for the other. The Rasool said, “Ibrahim’s mother is a bondwoman. If he dies, only I will grieve.” (Nafsil Mahmoom) [The Quran had abolished all forms of slavery. Could the exalted Prophet still hold on to slaves? Was not the bondwoman a mother and human?]

• The Rasool said, “I sacrifice Ibrahim for Husain.” So, Ibrahim died three days later. [Note the helplessness of the Almighty, and personality worship at its pinnacle]

• In his lifetime the Rasool brought into being four creatures who were the exact replicas of himself. These were Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain. (Akhlaqul A-imma)

• An Imam and a Prophet must be capable of performing miracles (’Aashir Bahar)

• About the Persian Princess Shahrbano, daughter of Yazdjard son of Shaheryar, son of Parvez, son of Hormuz, son of Kisra Nawshervan: Sheikh Mufeed says that she arrived during the time of the “Visible” Caliphate of the Lord of the Faithful, Hazrat Ali. (Muntakhib-ut-Tawareekh) [There is no mention of an "Invisible" as against a "Visible" caliphate in either the Quran or the Hadith. What does the "Invisible" caliphate mean?

• That even today it is Hazrat Ali and his Fatimi progeny ruling the Universe]

• Imam Zain-ul-Abedin was born to the same Shahrbano. That is why he is called Ibnul Khairatain (Son of twin nobilities) i.e. the progeny of Bani Hashim of Arabia and of Nawshervan of Persia. (Bahaarul Anwaar). [But was it not her great grandfather, the same insolent Khusro Parwaiz who tore up the memorandum sent to him by the Rasool (S)? To compare the nobility of the Persian kings to the household of the Prophet betrays the inferiority complex of the narrators and it is an to insult to the exalted Prophet]

• Rubab, that matchless wife of Imam Husain, lived only a year after the Karbala episode. She spent that entire one year in the sun and never sat in shade. (Muntakhibut Tawareekh)

• Imam Husain had four sons and two daughters. The sons were Zainul Abedin, Ali Akbar, Ali Asghar and Ja’far and the daughters were Fatima and Sakeena.

• Ali Akbar and Ali Asghar were martyred in Karbala. Ja’far’s fate could not be determined. Descendants to Imam Husain came only through Zainil Abedin. Today Husain’s progeny outnumbers the stars but there is no trace of Yazeed’s descendants. [No verification given]

• Quoting from Muntakhibut Tawareekh the Mujtahid writes that the above statement is the gist of Surah Al-Kauthar. In other words, the Surah is addressing Imam Husain that Allah will give him abundance.

• From the daughters, the lineage proceeded through Fatima Sughra who was the wife of Hasan Muthanna son of Imam Hasan.

[The Quran had done away with distinctions of lineage, color, and caste and the exalted Prophet had trampled them under his feet. Is it appropriate to make distinctions on that basis?]

A COUPLET

Mohsin Bhopali is around, alive and kicking. May Allah grant him happiness and success! He is a good poet. He wrote a couplet which has become immensely popular since it resonates with the Ummah’s line of thinking. Translation:

Witness momentarily the vagaries of the politics in vogueDestination found those who were not even in the caravan

[Whoever lagged behind, neither examined his own shortcomings, nor observed the qualities or the fitting strategy of others, but rather made excuses and played the blame game. What a calumny that the author of Saadat-ud-Darain uses this couplet to incriminate Sahaba Kiraam (the companions of the exalted Prophet)!] He says, “The true successors of the Rasool were cast aside to sit at home and the others captured the Khailafat.”

THE RIGHT TO RULE

[Hazraat Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali would never covet government ranks. In fact, whenever an office was offered to them they considered it a burden. The Rasool (S) had declared, “We do not confer office upon someone who seeks it. So, these God-conscious honorables could never covet power and rule (Khilaafat). Nor could the Rasool (S) authorize hierarchy. According to the Quran, character can be the only measure of a person's superiority.

Muhammad Ali Bab of Iran who launched the Bahai creed in the Nineteenth century was a descendant of the exalted Prophet. Father of (late) King Husain of Jordan, the Sharif of Makka, was a descendant of the Prophet as well. But he joined hands with Lawrence of Arabia for pitting Arabs against the Turks?

If the criterion of esteem is the ancestry or race, all Muslims should accept Prince Kareem Agha Khan as the Imam and unite under his leadership since he is a descendant of the exalted Messenger. And yes, the drunkard poet, Josh Maleehabadi of "Yadon Ki Barat" also claimed to be a descendant of the Rasool (S)]

[LINEAGE: Contrary to the Quran and sayings of the exalted Prophet, we find the Shia scholars laying great emphasis on progeny. Such and such was an illegitimate child and therefore ----. Such and such was the son of a "Ma'sum" (sinless), therefore he was perfect. Millions upon millions of Syeds! Yet, we notice, especially in the Indo-Pak subcontinent, every Tom, Dick and Harry to be a "Syed" meaning a direct descendant of the Prophet (S). Not only is this a mathematical impossibility, but the hard fact remains that the vast majority of Muslims in the subcontinent originate from those who had converted to Islam from Hinduism. Countless ignorant people consider the 12 Imams and these "Syeds" as Ma'soom (innocent, sinless or even Infallible) and revere them on that account. Fortunately, most Arabs grew out of this myth centuries ago]

THE FAVORITE TALES OF DENYING WATER TO THE FOE

[Perhaps for emotional impact, stopping water supply finds great favor with our historians as a weapon of the oppressors] On the authority of the socalled Imam Tabari, “Mujtahid” Muhammad Husain writes, “The besieging forces surrounded Hazrat Uthman’s palace and stopped the supply of water to him. Hasan and Husain managed to get through with water-skins defying blockade by thousands upon thousands!” [Just two men against thousands]

• The Battle of Jamal took place on 10th of Jamadiuthani, 36 AH. Hazrat Ali was 59 at the time. The world witnessed the sword that gleamed in the Battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq and Khyber against the infidels, now shining against Talha, Zubair and Ayesha. Thirty thousand lives were lost. [The world witnessed nothing like that. The Criminals of Islam who were Muslims in disguise, spun these tales and Ibn Rustam Tabari recorded it as history 280 years after these Sahaba Kiraam]

• Mu’awiya seized the access to river Euphrates and stopped the supply of water to Ali r.a. Then, Hazrat Ali’s forces snatched the riverbank but did not deny water to the enemy. This happened during the Battle of Saffain in which seventy thousand (mostly Sahaba Kiraam) perished. [This story is an invention of the so-called Imam Shahab Zahri Toosi (not Madani, d. 124 AH) and written by "Imam" Jareer bin Rustam Tabari. It is fascinating to note the Mullah-in-Chief of the 20th century, "Maulana" Syed Abul A'la Maududi (Our Master, Owner, Father of the Most Glorious, Maududi) saying, "If we do not believe in such stories, what will be left with us?”]

• In the Battle of Saffain (37 AH) Abu Musa Ash’ari said to Umro bin Al-’Aas, “You are a dog”. Umro responded, “You are an ass.” [Could the people groomed by the Rasool (S) behave like this?]

• However, in 38 AH, Hazrat Ali had to battle with the Khawarij (Those who broke away). It is called the Battle of Nahrawan. The Khawarij, who were on Hazrat Ali’s side in the Battle of Saffain became estranged because of his negotiating a truce with Mu’awiya. Thousands were killed in the Battle of Nahrawan as well. (Tabari)

• Mu’awiya the Governor of Syria, occupied Egypt and started a guerilla war against Hazrat Ali’s army. (Tabari).

[How could the Islamic Empire continue to thrive in spite of such destructive civil wars?]

HAZRAT ALI’S ASSASSINATION

• Hazat Ali resolved to invade Mu’awiya in Damascus to end the friction once and for all. He delivered a forceful sermon in the Kufah mosque and obtained popular support. Alas! Not a week had passed when on the 19th of Ramadhan, 40 AH, right in the middle of his praying in the mosque, Abdur Rahman Ibn Maljam Muradi Al-Khariji struck on his head with a sword steeped in poison. He succumbed to the wounds on Ramadhan 21. [It is odd that Imam Ali, who was supposed to be aware of each and every event, anywhere and at all times up to the Doomsday, remained unaware of the impending attack of Ibn Maljam! If that is assumed as a reconcilement with fate, why did he exhort his forces to attack Damascus? Was he going to maneuver bloodshed amongst Muslims? Was his assassin indeed a Muslim named Abdur Rehman Ibni Muljim from the Khawarij and if so, was it his individual act? Is it possible that he (Ali) fell to another Magian plot? See in a later chapter]

• Hazrat Ali was so fed up with his people that he had been harboring a death wish. He would say, “You have filled my heart with pus and my chest with grief and exasperation.” ["The Lion of Allah" could not have said this. He never was a despondent man]

• The Amir Ali used to say, “I wish that Mu’awiya takes ten men from me and in return give me just one of his. It would be like exchanging gold with silver.” (Nehjul Balagha, Irshad-e-Mufeed)

THE SPLITTING POISON

• Amir Mu’awiya, through a conspiracy with Ja’dah, a wife of Imam Hasan, had her administer him poison that split the Imam’s liver into pieces. Ja’dah was paid one hundred thousand dirhams and she was promised marriage with Yazeed. (Irshad-e-Mufeed)

[There might be a poison that can split the liver into pieces but it defies known medical science. According to Mahmood Ahmad Abbasi, Hazrat Hasan had resigned from politics due to ill health and succumbed to pulmonary tuberculosis]

FURTHER CALUMNY

• Imam Husain sent a forceful letter to Mu’awiya and challenged him to deny that he had taken a born slave, Ziyad bin Sumaiyya, as brother (Kitab-e-Irshad). [Again, notice the false standards of slavery and lineage! The Quran had categorically abolished slavery by declaring that all humans are worthy of honor regardless of where they are born]

• Mu’awiya poisoned Abdur Rahman, son of Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed through his Jewish physician. That poison rent apart his belly (Kitabe-Isti’ab). [We do not know what poison would do that]

• (Before that) the chief aid to Hazrat Ali, Malik Ashtar had also been killed by poisoning (Tabari). His tummy had also split asunder.

• Mu’awiya said to Imam Husain, “You are a lamb of sacrifice!” (Nasikh-ut-Tawarikh = Eraser of All Histories)

• When Mu’awiya lost hope of any support from Aisha, he dug a pit and she fell in that pit to her demise (Kitabei-Awail by Jalaluddin Sayyuti).

• In 60 AH, after ruling for a full forty years, Amir Mu’awiya died at the age of 78 or 85 (Tabari and Sa’ada). [A discrepancy of seven years is nothing. Our smart historians can get away even with a century]

• Yazeed was a drunkard, lover of kebabs, and a drug addict. He wore silk and played on the tambourine (Sa’ada). He used to dress up monkeys as Ulama and made them dance.

• While proceeding to the Battle of Tabuk, the Prophet appointed Ali as his deputy in Madinah. His companions became sure that he would appoint Ali as his successor. So, they hatched a plot for killing the Prophet. While he was on his way back from the Battle, 12 to 14 men advanced toward him and attempted to assassinate him. Hazrat Umar was one of the assailants! He once swore to Hazeefa, “By God! I am of the hypocrites.” (Meezanul E’tidal, by Imam Zahabi)

• Hazrat Umar stated, “When at the event of Ghadeer, the Rasool announced Ali to be the Master (Mun Kuntu Maulahu Fa Ali-yu Maula) a handsome, fragrant young man happened to be standing near me. He told me that the Prophet had that day tied a knot that none but a hypocrite would be able to undo.” The Rasool said to Janab-e-Thani (the second Caliph) Hazrat Umar, “O Umar! This was Angel Gabriel. You better be careful and never untie that knot.” (Muwaddah, Syed Hamadani).

[Dear reader! Such are the tales concocted in the mythology of religions. Angels become fragrant young men, walk around and make miracles. For committing sins, they are suspended in wells and their beloved beauties are hung in the sky as Venice. Think of the Mullah commentaries of the Quran relating to angels Haroot and Maroot]

• In Safar 11 A.H. a few days before he died, the Rasool, held back Ali and commanded the trio of companions, i.e. Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman to leave Madinah and go away for fighting the Romans under the command of Usama bin Zaid. He wanted them away in order to prevent them from disputing the Caliphate of Ali. But, they did not leave. (Al-Milil Wanahil) [What sort of company had the exalted Prophet selected? The Quran calls him Al-Muzammil = The best selector of companions, and extols the Sahaba in glorious terms]

THE PAPER EPISODE:

In his last days the Rasool wanted to write down a decree to save Muslims from straying. But the Number Two (Hazrat Umar) barred him stating, Innarrajul liyahjur (This man is talking delirious). Hasbuna Kitabullah (Allah’s Book is sufficient for us.) (Muslim, Masnad Ahmad bin Hanbal etc)

[These very books claim that the companions were not present with the Rasool at the time of his death. Then, they also say that after this so-called Paper Episode, the Prophet lived three more days. Could he not write down the decree later? Could he not give verbal command for others to write? Why would he leave this Paper pending till the last days of his 22 plus years old Mission as the Prophet?]

• If the companions did not refrain from making an attempt on the Prophet’s life for personal ends, murdering his grandson was no big deal for them. (Sa’ada)

• When the Prophet died, the companions abandoned his dead body and disappeared. They came back after three full days. Number one (Hazrat Abu Bakr) too came back after three days and thus the corpse remained without coffin and burial for three days. People were busy pledging allegiance to Number One. (Tabari and Seera Halabia)

[The son of the defeated Persia, Rustam's Zoroastrian son Tabari has woven a yarn from which none of our historians has managed to break loose. The Quran bestows laurels on Sahaba Kiraam in the most luminous ways]

• The same Tabari writes, “Hazrat Umar accompanied by some others came at the door of Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima with firewood and said, “Come out and pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr, otherwise I will set your house on fire.” [Such was the blinding magic of Tabari that Allama Shibli Nomani writes in his 20th century book, Al-Farooq: Considering the fiery temperament of Hazrat Umar, such behavior was not beyond him]

• Number One (Abu Bakr) arranged fire and firewood and Number Two (Umar) carried this stuff. So, it is not surprising that Shimar raised his sword against Imam Husain 50 years later.

INHERITANCE

Mujtahid Muhammad Husain asserts, “It is a settled principle of Islamic Shari’a that sons and daughters must inherit their father’s property.” [He has not made plain whether he is referring to the Mullah-made Shari'a or it is a Commandment from the Quran. The Quran is explicit on this subject. Making a will is an obligation (2:180), and can be in benefaction of anyone, whether someone of the kin, or not. The prescribed shares of relatives are only from the estate leftover after distribution according to the will (if any 4:11).

• Syeda Fatima died of grief that her inheritance of the Garden of Fadak was denied.

[Is not this assertion a grievous insult to the noble lady? Both Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Fatima had been trained by the exalted Prophet and they were above and beyond the petty cravings for wealth or power]

• Election of Hazrat Uthman was disastrous for Islam.” (Sa’ada)

[On the other hand, for centuries after the reign of Hazrat Uthman, Islam advanced like a torrent that no one could hold back]

• Imam Hasan had handed over his own Caliphate to Amir Mu’awiya with the stipulation that after Imam Hasan the Caliphate would return to Hasan’s family. (Isti’aab) [What happened to the Quranic injunction of Shura i.e. Mutual counsel?]

• Amir Mu’awiya used to be served a huge variety of dishes, more than seventy at every meal time. He would exhaust himself of eating and eating but his stomach never got filled. (Anwarul Lugha)

YAZEED, SON OF HAZRAT MU’AWIYA

There was no consensus in the reign of Amir Mu’awiya. (Ibid) [Yazeed, the second Bani Umayyad Caliph, was in fact nominated by the SHURA Council and people confirmed their allegiance to him in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Makkah, Madinah, Egypt, Yemen and Faris (Iran), all provinces that were close enough for communication through camels] If the government is run without Shura (mutual counsel) and power is transferred through inheritance, it would be a monarchy, not a caliphate.

[How could the caliphate run in Hazrat Ali's generations, then?]

• Yazeed son of Mu’awiya raised dogs, monkeys and leopards. He used to wed his step-mothers and took his daughters and sisters in marriage. He drank openly. At nights, surrounded by hoards of thieves and robbers, he loved to listen to the tales of loot and plunder. He used to dress up monkeys as the Ulama and then made them dance. (Tareekhul Khulafa)[Here, one speculates that the imagination of our historians has peaked out but]

• Three days and nights in Hijrah 62, Yazeed ransacked Madinah. Ten housand people of Madinah were killed and seven hundred companions of the exalted Prophet were put to death. Hundreds of women and three hundred virgins were dishonored. He had mules and donkeys tied in Masjid-e-Nabvi. (Ibid) [Called as the Incidence of Hurrah, Maududi happily includes this fabrication in his Khilaafat-o-Mulukiat!]

• Imam Zahabi writes, “Due to Yazeed’s evil doings, Allah did not prolong his life and he died in 64 AH at the age of 30 and many of his daughters were widowed at the ages of five and six. (Meezanul E’tidaal). No! He lived to be 38. (Tareekhul Khulafa)

[The assumption seems to be that dying young is a sign of vice and dying old is a sign of virtue! The problem is that many Imams of the Athna Ashri Shias died young. For example Imam Hasan Askari lived only up to age 28. On the other hand Amir Mu'awiya was blessed with longevity]

• Mujtahid Muhammad Hussian, the author of Sa’ada expounds on the authorities of Ahmad bin Hanbal, Syed Aloosi, Ibn-e-Jozi, Jalaluddin Sayyuti, Qazi Shahabuddin, Imam Zahabi, and Mullah Abdul Hayee Farangi Mahli: To keep cursing Yazeed is true worship. [But, the Quran declares that those of old have passed on, and you shall not even be questioned about what they used to do]

• Our historian seems to forget the account he just rendered aboutYazeed’s attack on Madinah. The Mujtahid now says on page 142,

“One thousand virgins were deflowered and every one of those girls became pregnant. One thousand companions of the Rasool were put to sword, seven hundred Qaris (reciters) of the Quran were slaughtered, dogs and wolves were let loose in the Masjid Nabawi. Is there any hope of Yazeed’s salvation?” [Shouldn’t the Mullah be more concerned about his own redemption?]

PRAYERS

• The Mujtahid Muhammad Husain has penned a line to the effect:

Who would have said prayers if Husain had not sacrificed his head? [Who indeed is 'saying prayers', Sunnis? - According to Muhaddith Al-Jazairi, and some other Ulama, a Sunni's prayer is fornication! Tafseeril Burhan, attributed to Imam Ja'far Sadiq. Shi'as? - Well, according to Abdul Qadir Jilani the prayer of a Shi'a is idolatry. Ghuniatut Talibeen]

• Imam Husain took up his Jihad with the purpose of promoting virtue and stopping evil. (Qumqam) Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlavi writes that the insurrection by Imam Husain was for liberating the masses from tyranny. The Mujtahid says that the Imam razed to the ground the palace of Yazeed. [When did that happen? The actual objective of Imam Husain's insurgency has remained a matter of contention between our historians]

DESPAIR:

It is narrated from Hazrat Ali in Amali Sheikh Suddooq, “I, Fatimah, Hasan and Husain were with Allah’s Messenger. Suddenly he looked at us and started crying over the atrocities that we were destined to face.” Hazrat Ali broke down so much that tears started trickling down from his beard onto his chest. [Neither the Messenger of Allah, nor the great Hazrat Ali was such weakling as to break down in the fashion described. They were the noble ones who, with resolution, character and valor changed the world forever]

• Imam Hasan said, “A poison will be secretly sent to my martyrdom.”

(Addam’ah As-Sakiba) [The same book repeatedly asserts that nothing remains hidden from an Imam]

• Imam Hasan told Imam Husain, “Blood will rain from the skies on your slaying and everything in the universe will scream over the tribulation. Even the beasts in the jungles and fish in the oceans will be shedding tears. (Ibid) [If you can make today's enlightened generation drink this kind of Islam, more power to you!]

• Nafsil Mahmoom, Aashir Bahaar and other books repeatly claim that the calamities and tribulations were preordained for Imam Husain and his household. [But, the Quran does not preach fatalism at all.

Layisa lil Insaani illa ma sa'aa (A human deserves that which he strives for). Man determines his own destiny. And if we accept predestination then the entire bustle and bother is pointless. Why keep crying over the spilt milk?]

• Imam Husain said, “I have heard from my grandfather (the exalted Prophet) that Khilafah is contraband for the seed of Abi Sufian.”

(Aashir Bihaar and Malhuf) [According to the Quran, kinship and ancestry carry no significance. The only criterion of superiority among people is character. Hence, the Messenger of Allah could not have said this]

• Before departing from Madinah, Husain saw a dream that made him cry. He broke down crying at the grave of the exalted Messenger.

Then, he cried after meeting his kin. He prayed, “O Allah! Guide me to the path that pleases You and Your Messenger. Then, he cried a great deal. (Maqtal Awalim, Aashir-ud-Damah) [Obvious contradictions abound in these reports - Predestiny, Approval of Allah and His Messenger, yet, Husain the son of the Lion of Allah (Ali), breaking down in tears at each and every step! And that too when Paradise, the venerated grandfather, parents and kith and kin were awaiting him in there]

• Half-brother of Imam Husain, Muhammad bin Hanfia, did not accompany him to Karbala from Madinah. The Imam took the progeny of his paternal grandfather Abu Talib. This included the Imam’s two sisters, Zainab and Umm Kulsoom, brothers and their sons. For some unknown reason, none from the clan of Banu Hashim except the descendants of Abu Talib accompanied him.out of Hazrat Husain’s 15 brothers stayed away.

THE POET LAMENTED

Where was Madinah and where Karbala

The traveler of whence came whence

REMINDER:

All criticism of the author in this book is directed to the historians, and not at all to the honorable personalities of Islam - The exalted Prophet, Sahaba Kiraam, Hazraat Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain, all of whom inspire our reverence and respect.